Speeding

A Speeding ticket is the last thing that a Virginia driver wants to worry about.  Many people think that it is easier to pre-pay a fine and avoid taking the time to go to court and fight Virginia speeding tickets.  However, pre-paying a Virginia speeding ticket is an admission of guilt and is a conviction that will remain on the offender’s driving record for several years.  It will also be punished with DMV demerit points.  These points can hurt a driver if he receives traffic tickets in the future and accumulating too many points in a short time period could lead to driver’s license suspension by the DMV.

Speeding in Virginia can also be a crime.  Speeding more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit can be charged as speeding or Reckless Driving (Va. Code §46.2-862).  Reckless Driving in Virginia is punished with jail, high fines, and driver’s license suspension.  The most serious punishment, however, is a permanent criminal record.

For more information on Reckless Driving charges in Virginia, click here.

Why Did I Get A Virginia Speeding Ticket?

The Virginia Code has specified the maximum safe speeds at which drivers in Virginia can travel on certain roadways.  The speed limits are posted and traveling above these speeds can result in Virginia speeding tickets.  Certain areas have reduced speeds at certain times and/or increased fines and additional penalties for speeding.  These areas include school crossings and school zones (Va. Code §46.2-873), highway work zones (Va. Code §46.2-878.1), and residential areas (Va. Code §46.2-878.2).

Driving Too Slowly

Virginia drivers can also receive tickets for driving too slowly.  Va. Code §46.2-877 states that if a driver operates a motor vehicle so slowly that he impedes the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, he can receive a ticket for driving too slowly.  This statute does not apply to driving slowly in dangerous conditions.

For more information on charges of Driving too Slowly in Virginia, click here.

Measuring a Car’s Speed in Virginia

Police officers use a variety of methods to measure vehicle speed.  These include RADAR, LiDAR, microcomputer devices connected to odometer cables, and pacing.  Police officers must verify that their speed-monitoring equipment is working properly to convict a Virginia driver of speeding.  The equipment must also be properly calibrated.  An experienced Virginia speeding ticket lawyer can evaluate whether the police complied with the proper procedures.

Fines for Virginia Speeding Tickets

Virginia speeding tickets are punished with fines.  The fine is pre-payable and is based on the number of miles over the posted speed limit the offender was driving (Va. Code §46.2-878.3). The driver will generally be assessed a fine of $6 for every mile over the speed limit he was driving.  However, there are increased fines for speeding in certain areas.  For example, speeding at a school crossing or in a highway work zone will be punished with a fine of $7 for every mile per hour over the posted speed limit the driver was traveling, and speeding in a residential district is punished with a fine of $8 for every mile per hour over the posted speed limit the driver was traveling (Va. Code §46.2-878.3).

For more information on speeding in a school zone in Virginia, click here.

For more information on speeding in highway work zone in Virginia, click here.

For more information on speeding in a residential area in Virginia, click here.

Virginia Speeding Tickets and DMV Points

In addition to fines, convictions for Virginia speeding tickets will result in DMV demerit points. The number of points depends on the driver’s speed:

• Speeding 1-9 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 3 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(3)).  This conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.
• Speeding 10-19 miles over the speed limit will result in 4 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(2)).  The conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.
• Speeding more than 20 miles over the posted speed limit will result in 6 demerit points (Va. Code §46.2-491(D)(1)).  This conviction will remain on the driver’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.
• Driving too slowly will result in 3 demerit points.  This conviction will remain on the offender’s Virginia driving record for 5 years.

For more information on Virginia speeding tickets and DMV demerit points, click here.

Virginia Speeding Ticket Lawyer Jean Humbrecht

Virginia speeding tickets must be taken seriously.  Virginia speeding tickets have consequences that could last for several years, including possible driver’s license suspension.  Contact Virginia speeding ticket lawyer Jean Humbrecht today to fight your case.